warehouse_13_artifact_databasefandomcom-20200215-history
First Monthly Palooza
Greetings to all you hibernators and exercise procrastinators! It’s already been a wild month to start off the year, and February shows no signs of stopping that trend. As we look forwards and cross our fingers for good fortune (and maybe a “neglected” chocolate box), we also reflect upon cases of past years, with all the close calls and near misses. The agents look back upon dusty Warehouse case files to find clues to absent artifacts and continually update the knowledge base into digital format. To break the surefired tedium of this work, agents have been known to search for only specifically themed records to make the work more interesting. For the current search, agents are focusing only on February timed births, deaths and other events. Each user suggest an artifact for any day. However, to prevent overpopulation, once a day reaches three separate artifacts, it will be closed out. The challenge will last until each day possesses at least two artifacts. Now, fly my lovelies! February 1 *Yevgeny Zamyatin’s Radiator *George Stokes’ Fluorite *Herb Caen’s Toothpick February 2 *James Joyce’s Eyepatch *Grand Central Terminal Rotary Convertor *Vittorino da Feltre’s Home Stoup February 3 *Four Chaplains’ Lifejackets *Joseph E. Johnston Confederate Flag *Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Hammer February 4 *Emperor Taizu of Song’s Cuju Goals *Augustin Pyramus de Candolle’s Touch-Me-Not Plant *Ludwig Prandtl’s Airfoil February 5 *André Citroën's Double Helical Gear *Gabriel Voisin's Empennage *Slavoljub Eduard Penkala’s Hot Water Bottle February 6 *Pierre-Joseph Desault’s Culottes *Josef Frings’ Ferraiolo *Aldus Manutius’ Vellum February 7 *Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Schoolhouse *Alfred Adler’s Coat Rack *Desmond Doss’ Rifle Stock February 8 *Sandford Fleming's Postage Stamp *Peter Kropotkin's Bread Knife *George Formby Sr’s Penny Dreadful February 9 *Robert Kearns’ Windshield Wipers *Ono no Michikaze Hanafuda Card: Famed for his calligraphy, Ono no Michikaze turned a Chinese art into a Japanese staple. His magnificent script was gentler than the rigid Chinese methodology, serving as the basis for future poets. **One legend asserts Michikaze took a walk one rainy night to vent frustration over his efforts. He observed a frog constantly failing to jump the gap to a branch, thinking it was an idiot. At that very moment, the winds shifted and the frog finally landed on the branch. Michikaze realized he was the stupid one for not constantly trying, and devoted himself to perfecting his craft. **Holding while moving through rain Increases diligence to higher levels. The user becomes unfazed by repetition and failure, constantly working towards their goal. Even when tired, the work doesn't cease. Which is probably best advised against, as the user's head fills with a literal fog that clouds their judgement and makes thinking clearly a challenge. *Chris Gardner's Parking Tickets: Chris Gardner decided to forego a medical degree and quit his sales jobs while trying to take care of his young son. The position originally offered to him was cancelled, and his wife took custody of Chris Jr. To add insult, Gardner had to spend 10 days in prison for $1200 in unpaid parking tickets. He managed to enter a low-level firm position, pass his qualification exam first try and became guardian to his son again. **Gardner pursued stockbrokerage while on the verge of poverty. Whatever work he finished was snuck between rushing junior to daycare and searching for shelter - the office, parks, soup kitchens and public transport. His fortunes turned when he became a top performer for Bear Stearns and later founded his own firms. **Gardner now travels as a motivational speaker, creating housing and job opportunities for the homeless of San Francisco and Chicago. His triumphs over struggle were depicted by Will Smith and his son Jaden in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness. **Causes luck-related oscillations. Will cause a string of good or bad breaks, each compounding the magnitude of future events. Each outcome is based on the events they were already performing at that point, only shifting the a few conditions per instance. Random events only happen when someone breaks a habit for something unexpected. Placing on a car makes the owner more resilient to turmoil and helps them weather out the shallow times easier. February 10 *Bartholomew Roberts’ Marine Sandglass and Chip Log *Platinum Rings from Poland’s Wedding to the Sea *Montesquieu’s Folding Screen February 11 *Nelson Mandela's Prison Uniform *Jean Baptiste Charbonneau’s Cradleboard *Rachilde’s Snuff Box *Jōsei Toda’s Gohonzon Butsudan February 12 *Puyi’s Headdress *Isaac Woodard’s Uniform *Étienne-Louis Boullée’s Cupboard February 13 * Ettore Fieramosca's Battle Axe: Ettore Fieramosca was a 15th-16th century Italian nobleman and leader of the professional military mercenaries. On February 13th, 1503, at a banquet attended by both French and Italian knights, the French Charles de Torgues (also known as Monsieur Guy de la Motte) questioned the valor and courage of Italian soldiers, inciting an argument. To solve the question, la Motte challenged the Italians with special rules to determine whether their enemies could stand up to their own valor. The challenge consisted in a mounted tourney between 13 Italians (the most famous being Ettore Fieramosca), who were part of the Spanish army based in Barletta, and 13 French knights who were based in Canosa di Puglia. The number of 13 knights was set by the French la Motte, who believed that that would give to the Italians an opportunity to refuse the challenge because of the superstition associated with the number 13. The winners would receive as a bounty the weapons and the horses of the other army who had also to pay a ransom of 100 ducats for each knight (gold value in 100 ducats is about US $15,000 in early 2018). Moreover, each army had to provide two hostages as a collateral. Fieramosca was captain of the Italian team, who won the tournament and was paid the proper ransom by the French. ** Even when not wielded, this axe has the passive ability to prevail against anything associated with the number 13 and provides its wielder with a boost in good luck. As such, it has evaded snagging by the Warehouse for quite some time, and it is unknown if it can or will ever be collected before the creation of Warehouse 14. *Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's Topi Taqiyah and Charpai: In founding the Ahmadiyya branch of Islam, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad established himself as a force of renewal for the religion. At its core was a focus on tawhid, upholding God is an absolute entity accessible to all followers, not some. Also embraced is the belief Jesus survived the crucifixion and travelled east for a natural life in the Kashmir. Many Christians and other Muslim groups furiously detest Ahmadiyya worshippers for this specific reason. **Ahmad's support for Islam consisted of lectures, texts, arguments for peaceful cooperation and spiritual debates with opponents. Several times he challenged naysayers to prayer duels to demonstrate who was truly devoted to their belief. Most refused. Others backed down from their claims of being holy messengers and gods incarnate. **Allows the dual activators to unshackle their spirit and wander around freely, interacting unseen with the world around. Stronger wielders can amplify someone's conscience and slide it closer towards the user's values. Powered by faith, meaning unshakeable belief provides the finest control. **The affected can inhabit both their astral and physical forms at once without harm. Separated users can also split apart opponents, facing them in the incorporeal realm. All that can be done is argument - forcing the duo to disagree until fair concessions are made. Spending time within this state weakens the physical body until it is too weak to move unassisted. *Aung San's Pinhole Camera: The father of modern Burma (now Myanmar), Aung San wanted to overthrow the British imperialists and was offered support for his rebels by the Japanese. A homegrown army and self-appointed government were created, but San panged with doubt over promises made. As treatment worsened and victory seemed unlikely, San agreed to coordinate with the Allied forces. **Post-war, he founded the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPFL) to unite the various ethnicities and evict foreigners from Burmese soil. With a majority in the assembly, independence was brokered in 1947. Six months before the official ceremony, the former prime minister contracted San's killing. **Forms a barrier impassible to all not the user's nationality. The wielder must be born in their home country or have direct descent, no expatriates allowed. Also steers the user towards the wrong compatriots. People that are competent but manipulative, bending the user to provide more than they receive. February 14 *Fritz Zwicky’s Meteor Pellets *Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund’s Order of the Dragon Emblem *Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson’s Hogback February 15 *Charles Édouard Guillaume's Balance Wheel *Ammunition from the USS Maine *Pedro Menéndez de Avilés’ Patache *Distant Early Warning Line February 16 *Stephen Decatur's Disguise *Robert J. Flaherty’s Film Stock *Mary Amdur’s Guinea Pig Wheel February 17 *Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Keisaku *Isabelle Eberhardt’s Burnous *Horace-Bénédict de Saussure's Solar Oven February 18 *Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn *Clyde W. Tombaugh's Photographic Plates *John Tunstall's Horse Saddle February 19 * Eddie Arcaro's Jockey Goggles: Born premature to a measly three pounds, Eddie Arcaro was always ''chosen last for gym class. Standing at a respectable five feet two inches, "Banana Nose" Arcaro found his calling - jockeying thoroughbred horses. Before the rise of large sports teams, racing was one of highest caliber sporting events for socializing (and gambling). Practicing illegally since 15 down in Mexico, Arcaro reined in his skill and became the most outstanding player of his time. In the entirety of his career, Arcaro has won more prestigious race than any other fellow jockey and is the only rider to win the coveted U.S. Triple Crown ''twice. Wearing these goggles allows the user to see from the horse's vantage point with extreme detail. Their visual sensitivity will be amped up to catch any hairpin movements with clarity, while they will automatically deduce the best maneuver to take advantage of momentary spaces. Causes acute height shrinkage by several feet, decreasing an inch for each victory. *José Abad Santos' Pebble: Elected as the fifth Supreme Court Justice of the Philippines, José Abad Santos served positions in the Senate and House of Representatives prior to his appointment. More notable however was his role as Acting President and Commander-in-Chief for the archipelago nation during World War Two. When given the choice to evacuate via submarine, Santos flatly refused - his duty was to the people. Sworn in by President Quezon, Santos' purpose was to govern on behalf of the cabinet while Quezon established an exiled government abroad in America. Japanese military forces captured Santos and failing to get any cooperation, executed him by firing squad. Santos last words were convincing his son Pepito not to cry over his death. "Do not cry, Pepito, show to these people that you are brave. It is an honor to die for one's country. Not everybody has that chance." Imbued with the undying desire to save his homeland, this tiny rock compels the user to defend their home. Refusing to submit to assailants demands is common, as is an unyielding resistance to surrender. Even when the user risks great personal harm by making their stand, they will not budge under any pressure. *Álvaro Obregón's Right Arm: One of the only generals to survive the Mexican Revolution (mostly) intact, Obregón battled against President Victoriano Huerta's forces after the Madero government was overthrown. With support of his Sonoran home state, Obregón captured Mexico City and toppled the fledgling Huerta regime. After a formal split with fellow general Venustiano Carranza over the new government, they rejoined forces to combat rebels Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. Obregón would always recount after his arm was blown off in battle, it suddenly appeared out of nowhere to grasp an unclaimed gold coin. **After Carranza was assassinated, Obregón was elected as the first postwar President. Taking measures to stabilize the nation, he instituted new educational, farmland and labor laws. However, he also continued to spearhead campaigns against the Yaqui people, priests, American oil companies and even his own financial minister. Believing the wealthy, foreigners and the Church were complicit with Huerta, Obregón imposed heavy financial sanctions and public humiliation to bend them to his will. Obregón was later assassinated before his second term by a persecuted Catholic adherent. **Will maneuver itself in the direction of the privileged, influential and wealthy, pointing directly at them when close enough. Those selected will glimmer with an iridescent sheen to signify their influence, while a golden mist will follow them about. Most people who notice this lightshow are not impressed, but bothered on how certain people appear unable to control their flaunting. Snide comments and cold shoulders become common and can magnify into brutal beatings if left unchecked. Also effects expatriates and migrant workers to the same degree, regardless of their current wealth or ethnicity. The user will also become habituated to sparring against their own allies on the slightest of issues. Many alliances have disintegrated over the refusal to cooperate with former friends. February 20 *Emergency Broadcast System False Alarm of 1971: Acting as the main American emergency alert system from 1963 to 1997, the sound annoyed millions for decades. All messages, from local to presidential breakthroughs, were broadcasted to participating stations only. During a slight kerfuffle in February 1971, an employee played an authentic warning signal instead of the weekly test tape, which informed all stations to air the alert. Forty minutes and six attempts were needed to deactivate the alarm. More disconcerting was not the operators bungled protocol, but the alarm never reached broadcasters. The majority either ignored the alert or were unprepared to handle the message, forcing major reforms in operating procedure. **Elusive in nature, its latent signal hides dispersed across communication devices. When prompted by an override password from any connected security or alert system, it displays an emergency message across all networked devices. The alert is always tailored to a local issue that threatens the neighboring infrastructure. It was recently captured after some technological trapping - not before unleashing chaos in Hawaii. *Washakie's Rattle: Leader of the Shoshone during the 19th century, Washakie permanently altered their destiny in the face of American encroachment. During his youth, the Shoshone agreed to cooperate with their enemies the Blackfeet to stymie western travelers, while Washakie crafted his own buffalo hide rattle to spook enemy horses. Renouncing from his warrior triumphs, Washakie instead played peacemaker with the incoming settlers. Under his command, emigrants were shown safe routes through unfamiliar territory and received back any stray cattle. They also fought with the US Army against their common enemies like the Sioux and Cheyenne, and ceded land rights to the Union Pacific Railroad. When Washakie passed away at 102, he was baptized as both a Mormon and Episcopal and received a full military funeral. **Shaking the rattle induces mental reverberations, causing the user to be repeatedly swarmed with the same thoughts from every viewpoint imaginable. Known to cause those of weak or uncompromising stature to fear for their safety and attack any they meet without hesitation. But when a more receptive person to change is immersed in their own concerns, they instead choose to accept rather than worry over the future. They will behave more leniently with strangers and be willing to overlook mistakes and cultural differences for the sake of prosperity. *Laura Bassi's Sample of Water: Granted a professorship in physics by the University of Bologna, Lauri Bassi tutored young pupils beginning in 1732. However, her gender dissuaded the university from allowing her to recite public lectures to all male classes. Instead, she privately educated students, keeping correspondence with luminaries from Volta to Voltaire. Longtime friend Pope Benedict XIV formed the Benedettini with 25 scholars under the one stipulation Bassi was a member. The others approved, but only if Bassi was barred from voting privileges. **During her forays into science, Bassi wrote approximately the same amount of yearly material as her male counterparts for academic review. Her noteworthy papers discussed the properties of water, electric currents and bubbles within her own revisions of Newton and Franklin's theorems. **Imparted with her vast research into the physical world, one sample of water retains her yearn to learn. Contact expands the user's natural curiosity and reception to scientific information, allowing them to understand various sciences at an accelerated rate. Of note is a strange shroud that obscures any of the physical achievements from direct view. Only intense scrutiny and the expectation to find something will the objects reveal themselves again. The water will duplicate its effect upon any other sample when in a container, otherwise it will just coagulate together into a large bubble when spilled. **Of note, Bassi was the second woman to ever receive a university degree. Interestingly, Maria Goeppert-Maye, who passed away the very same day in 1972, was the second woman to receive a Nobel Prize in physics for crucial wartime nuclear research. Coincidence sure is a mercurial imp, as Artie says. February 21 *Nurhaci's Banners: Nurhaci ascended from chief of the Aisin Gioro clan to become leader of all the Jurchen tribes, reorganized as the Manchu. In a stroke of pure political cunning, Nurhaci's government emphasized shared cultural traits like dress and diet to get competitors like the Mongols and Yehe to cooperate. **Not content with a handful of tribes under one rule, Nurhaci's forces wrestled the Ming Dynasty for territory. To effectively wage war across China without tribal infighting, Nurhaci implemented the Eight Banners system. Regiments were divided by ethnicity such as Han and Mongols, allowing soldiers to pledge allegiance to the khan but faithfully retain their cultural hallmarks. These divisions also existed in civilian society, persisting for centuries after Nurhaci's passing. **Creates trust and solidarity between opposing peoples, defined by the original flag-bearers. Brings people together by highlighting their similarities, allowing them to communicate without quarrel. Each banner also reinforces long-held traditions within their own society, reviving a fervent adherence to old rituals in the latest generations. However, it also magnifies an extreme aversion towards others not within their direct lifestyle or line of communication. While cooperative with their fellow flag-bearers, they will attempt to oppress or utterly destroy outsiders for their own security. *Mirra Alfassa's Prayer Rug: Raised under the elite class, Alfassa took a particular interest in the occult and spiritualism during travels to Algeria, Japan and India. Influenced by guru and revolutionary Sri Aurobindo's messages of spiritual evolution, she dedicated herself to his teachings. Aurobindo believed the world and its inhabitants evolved to take new forms, explaining the creation of matter, then life, and finally mind. **Alfassa founded a local ashram (monastery) to preach the beliefs of integral yoga to receptive students alongside Aurobindo. So respected was her efforts, pupils referred to her simply as "The Mother". Besides her duties towards maintaining the ashram, Alfassa also founded the town of Auroville. A social experiment without borders and regulation, citizens self -governed their own community. It was designed to be open for all peoples to live in equality, and to this day is still home to a very diverse set of nationalities. **Allows the user to achieve mental serenity, clearing their mind of all intrusive thoughts. With intensive meditation, the user's subsequent thoughts can directly affect matter around them. Simple, affirmative tasks such "move" or "organize" will be done calmly by all nearby objects, sometimes even people. More explosive requests such as "burst" or "crash" will cause everything in the vicinity to obey, usually with destructive results. Using to inflict damage will also reflect the same level of havoc back upon the user. *Charles Calvert's Tobacco: As the 3rd Baron of Baltimore, Charles Calvert was entitled to the family colony of Maryland. It was founded as a safe haven for Roman Catholics and other denominations to escape the restrictions imposed by Anglican England. Governing a fundamentally opposed colony proved much more difficult and uncompromising than Calvert could have potentially imagined. **Upon his arrival, Maryland suffered poor harvests of its cash crop tobacco and began the system of keeping baptized and children of slaves continually enslaved. There was also unresolved squabbling with William Penn over the borders between Pennsylvania and Maryland. But most importantly, Maryland became a hotbed for religious argument. **The appeal of land and commerce attracted flocks of Protestants, minimalizing the presence of Catholics and similar groups. Calvert constantly tried to use his political power to curb Protestantism, but his attempts at restricting voting rights and assembly positions alienated his very own people. By the time Calvert sailed back to England, his Maryland of religious tolerance had become a dominion of Protestant dominance. **Causes the inhaler to rigidly adhere to their values, even if detrimental to their success. They become unwilling to change their actions, especially when they are unpopular or sharply criticized by opponents. This comfort with arguing 'no' often leads to a loss of widespread support for the user's goals. Noted to have an even more intensive potency when within the confines of Maryland, allowing the wielder to incite riots with the merest unintended action. February 22 *Battle of Fishguard Hurdy Gurdy - Meant to spread the liberty kindled by Revolutionary France, Fishguard was supposed to be a proud moment for the new regime. Instead, it failed in nearly every possible manner. Now all it's known for is being the last (failed) invasion of Britain. **The plan was simple: send an army to campaign through cities. Unfortunately, all the professional soldiers were busy fighting under Napoleon and left Colonel Tate with 1400 reject conscripts and work-release convicts. Only one of three armies actually reached Fishguard, at which point most either deserted or got drunk off imported wine. The native Welsh were uninterested, while the native Brits prepared for battle. Seeing no good outcomes, the French unconditionally surrendered and later traded home in prisoner exchanges. **Playing within cities and other settlements will cause all logistics to vanish in smoke. It worsens the scale of accidents and mistakes, causing them to affect more people over a faster rate. Incidents occur too often to handle appropriately, usually causing a complete and utter halt to activity. *Rashi's Tefillin - The medieval French rabbi Rashi is today regarded as one of the most important authors to analyze Jewish texts. Every topic was discussed, from religious law to holiday ceremony. Adherents connected with his writing, which directly addressed the meaning of centuries old syntax and grammar with a straightforward, clear explanation. Only after the literal translation was established would Rashi provide his own opinion. Due to these literary strengths, Rashi's writing has remained in every edition of the Talmud since the 1520s. **However, every author has their fair share of critics. Some believed his simplistic writing pandered to the masses and glossed over a great deal of rabbinical knowledge in favor of easy reading. **Placing a text inside with a Jewish scripture (i.e. Torah, Talmud) creates multiple arguments based on the writing's analysis. Several new sheets or pages will appear, listing the different ways each sample could be interpreted. Each discussion provides a clear breakdown of the writing's word choice, flow of narrative and clarity. However, it immediately diminishes the user's knowledge base, causing subsequent rewrites to be nonsensical and filled with continuity mistakes on review. *Zitkala-Sa's Violin - Also known as Red Bird and married as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, Zitkala-Sa was a Dakota Sioux during the tail end of American frontier expansion. Born on a reservation, Zitkala was taken by missionaries and forced to follow their culture over her own. She excelled at oration, writing and music, but was disgusted how white settlers were destroying her native heritage through institutions like the Carlisle Indian School. **Zitkala vented her frustration through writing, publishing articles to address the struggles about being assimilated and corralled by another people. Not content, Zitkala founed the National Council of American Indians to directly attend to issues like citizenship, healthcare and heritage preservation. **Listeners will experience in vivid detail ancestral stories and traditions. The language, clothing, celebrations and history will all be attuned to their specific lineage. For people of multiple ethnicities, the most prevalent ancestry in their family tree will come first, and then continue through the remaining cultures. Whenever the affected are exposed to some form of intolerance or misinformation against their people(s), they will defend their culture to the brink. The likelihood of civil argument and violent assault are just as likely and depend upon the person. February 23 *Salima Sultan Begum's Diwan: The fourth wife and first cousin of Mughal emperor Akbar, Salima was previously married to a court regent until he was assassinated. As family, she was privy to royal matters and influenced Akbar's decisions on a continual basis. Salima undertook the pilgrimage to Mecca since Akbar was bound to the kingdom, and repaired the relationship with his son Salim, ensuring the dynasty continued. Asides from her familial finesse, Salima was also renowned poet and diarist in her own right. **When read aloud, the user turns into a persuasive mediator, allowing them to leverage arguments into agreements. The warring parties will constantly feel connected to each other's opinions and concerns whenever the user reads, prays or hopes. Exchange will only grow with time, reaching more intimate desires as the connection grows. At the moment of mutual understanding, the psychic link evaporates and the groups conclude their animosity. **Under certain cases, such as victim and perpetrator, a positive relationship cannot be created. All involved instead suffer mental feedback, causing melancholy and bouts of aggression. The magnitude is strong enough to make close allies harm the affected to end their mania. *Guantanamo Bay Landmines: Colloquially known as Gitmo, Guantanamo Bay is an American military base stationed in southeastern Cuba. It was originally leased as coaling station and Navy base, but was policed by the United States as one of their victory spoils in the Spanish-American War. Congress passed the Platt Amendment in 1903 to legalize their claim agreement, giving them total access to the land and waters. **Its legal status became an issue starting in the 1960s, where young Cubans inspired by socialism wanted their territory returned. Around the same time, an 8-mile (13 km) cactus wall was planted to deter Cubans from seeking US citizenship. A no man's land was also created, surrounding the perimeter with 55,000 landmines. As of today, some of the camp barracks have been converted into detention centers for captured terrorists. Many have pushed for their closure due to its borderline legality and torture methods used on inmates. **When planted, they burrow several inches underground. Instead of exploding when stepped on, they sprout prickly pear cactus . They quickly grow and wrap around anybody deemed a threat to the chosen location. This includes any group considered an enemy of the user or who has some past grievances with them. The cacti will continue to strangle and maul the captured until they agree to leave without further incident. *W. E. B. Du Bois' Eraser: Educated in history and sociology, W. E. B. Du Bois wanted to improve the lives of African-Americans. Racist acts such as discrimination, Jim Crow laws and lynchings were common, shocking him every time one occurred. What Du Bois proposed was equal rights for blacks, full representation in society and a push for the "talented tenth" to lead in academic and politics. This platform ran counter to fellow activist Booker T. Washington, who pushed for cultivating a productive economy independent of whites through hard work, earning their rights as separate peoples. **Du Bois later co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to continue his campaign for equality on a larger scale. He also helped organize several Pan-African Congresses to bolster support for independence for colonized peoples. As an author, DuBois continually wrote about the dual struggles of identifying as a black American instead of just one. **Removes a user's existing assumptions regarding race. They will still remember what they previously thought, but now experience similar events with a clean slate. Often, they will be delighted over finding new meaning to other's customs, but disturbed over any biases they believed were true. Many times, the user will set about permanently changing their outlook and be more tolerant towards others from different backgrounds. February 24 *Wayne Gretzky's Hockey Puck *[[Original Supreme Court Papers of Marbury v. Madison|Original Supreme Court Papers of Marbury v. Madison]] *Irmgard Bartenieff's Resistance Bands: Irmgard Bartenieff transferred her passion for dancing into physical therapy exercises. Working alongside her mentor Rudolf Laban, she developed a structure to explain human movement from anatomical to layman's terms. Many of her principles focused on the subjects' breath and awareness of how their body formed different shapes when moving **The first people to benefit from her exercises were polio patients, who regained back movement during treatment. She also helped handicapped children and advocated the use of dance as treatment for physical ailments alongside regular therapy sessions. **Enhances balance and proprioception. The user will be more centrally aligned and prepared to move to remain upright. Wielders also have greater awareness of the way their body is moving through space, giving higher motor control. **Can stiffen the body into geometric forms when least expected. The wielder may end up stuck in a handstand, yoga pose or even fetal position at the wrong moment. February 25 *Friedrich Spee’s Cassock *Maria Margaretha Kirch's Ephemeris: Maria Margaretha Kirch was taught by her husband Gottfried how to navigate the celestial plain, picking apart individual constellations and comets. Being wife to the royal astronomer came with its perks, like being able to practice from the Holy Roman observatory and calculate the motion of actual heavenly bodies. Maria and Gottfried worked together as a team to create accurate calendars, almanacs and even weather reports. **Kirch continued her studies and published observations under her own name, but was met with a cold shoulder after her husband passed. The Royal Academy denied her admittance even though she was well qualified, and had a tumultuous relationship with other institutions further on. **When opened, it illustrates a forecast of the upcoming week's noteworthy events. Most relate towards natural occurrences like weather changes or visibility, but can also include events similar to honoring ceremonies or scientific curiosity. Any person who actively disrupts the user's habits will be pelted with continual micrometeors. They will grow larger and more ferocious daily until they get the message. *Andranik's Khackhar: Andranik's quarrel was for the freedom and security of the Armenian people. He originally joined the Dashnaktustyun party to protect his homeland as a militia member, but was unable to fully defend them from Ottoman and Turkish threats. **During World War I, he commanded the first volunteer Armenian battalion to reclaim most of their traditional homeland. However, military losses pushed back their territory to a small sliver, which formed the First Republic of Armenia. Andranik was disheartened by the established size and fought independent of the government as its protector. **Placing the palm across the image of the cross will allow them to control and reshape the earth they stand upon. Bridges, barricades and fortifications can be quickly assembled to withstand any outright assault thrown at them. The effects are especially strong in areas the user considers their current or ancestral homeland. However the amount of territory the user can wield diminishes with time. With enough provocation, the land itself will resist the user's will and actively create obstacles to stymie any efforts. February 26 *Siege of Kaifeng Fire Lance: The Jin Dynasty managed to carve out a sizeable niche in the territories of northern China. Unfortunately, their next door neighbor was the Mongol Empire, headed by Ögedei Khan. A massive army besieged Kaifeng and cut it off reinforcements. Hunger, sickness and paranoia festered within the closed off walls. The city limped on until they were forced to surrender, severely crippling Jin dominance. **The Jin were not completely defenseless, as the conflict marked the first time incendiary weapons were used in warfare. They wielded handheld flaming lances filled with shrapnel and gunpowder, while the Mongols launched trebuchets against the city walls. **When ignited, it will release fireballs that engulf the nearest city. However, they are cold to the touch and unable to burn through any material. Instead, everything they lit will suffer from sudden weakness; buildings become decrepit and structurally unstable, while people turn starved and sickly. Having the local authority cede control to the user will immediately stop all the hardships. *Robert Watson-Watt's Lightning in a Bottle: Inventor of modern radar, Robert Watson-Watt began his research by tracking thunderstorms with radio waves. Watt's expertise in locating lightning strikes prompted the military to ask if a working weapon could be fashioned from the technology. Although inconceivable, a viable detection system slowly took shape. **The resulting chain home system used poor transmission frequencies and scrounged parts, but it eventually worked. Just in time too, as the completed stations allowed RAF pilots to scorch Luftwaffe forces, and fend off a nighttime invasion of Britain. **A lightning strike captured at the moment of its flash, Watt studied it to form some of his ideas regarding sound detection. Shaking and uncapping will cause the bolt to shoot up miles into the sky. It will turn a large portion of the overhead sky totally black for several minutes, blocking out all light. Objects already in flight will be illuminated by an intense glow, pinpointing their locations even after normal daylight resumes. It then zaps back into the jar, recharging with electrical signals from nearby machinery on the return. Most devices will suffer from garbled signals, low power levels and momentary blackout before resetting. *Nick Leeson's Error Account: Stock trading maintains the popular image of cunning and fast-living mavericks schmoozing over clients to gamble with their money. Former Baring's Bank broker Nick Leeson fits the archetype pretty handedly. While working as a broker, the UK's oldest merchant bank profited millions from his unauthorized trades. But mistakes forced Leeson to dip into an error account to hide any losses, which would normally hold compensation payments for future needs. Being his own supervisor made it easier to hide any discrepancies in accounts. **In early 1995, Leeson speculated the Asian markets would stay level overnight. Surprise - a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Kobe. Losses ballooned to £827 million (US$1.4 billion). After two centuries of service, Baring's was forced into bankruptcy. Leeson was jailed for six years and released, now serving as a public speaker and most recently, Big Brother contestant. **The collected account was number 88888. Eight by itself is considered to be an extremely lucky number according to Chinese traditions. Repetitions make it even more powerful. However, it also states the value of 5 means "not", turning any numeric associations into its opposite. **Known to jump between accounts when it feels a killing can be made, changing chunks of the identification digits with eight. Will shift assets around, take chances with riskier corporations and invest in likely to default clients. Whatever deal seems too daunting or financially flimsy for the weak willed is what the account gravitates towards. **All transactions will generate some approval from on high, either from the director's board or corporate leader, to further sway resources in its direction. Also, the bosses will love taking note of their brilliant plan and want to reinforce their leadership among their peers. Profits can be accessed by any senior manager with the account information. However, one bad investment will cause a chain reaction leading to poor management and short-term mistakes. The account merely shrugs the difficulty off and bounces to another person or company. February 27 *Alfred Dillwyn "Dilly" Knox'd Bathtub *Constantine the Great's Crucifix *Hosteen Klah's Needlepoint: Hosteen Klah was a Navajo artist and possibly born as intersex. He became highly adept at chanting and sandpainting, traditionally male arts, but also weaving, usually done by women. Multiple tribes like the Navajo even had a term to describe different gender-sex pairings, Nádleehi. Traditionally oriented members approved of his works, except for the ones which combined sandpainting, ritual dances and other spiritual activities into weavings. **Performing cultural activities such as ethnic dances, folksongs and ceremonies causes the fabric to relax into a single flexible sheet. Twisting and shaking it releases different colored sand each consecutive day. Applying to anything binary alters the results into another possibility. Yes or no questionnaires become more detailed, minor political parties receive major support, ambidexterity becomes normal - absolutes change. **Must not attempt to combine prior options together into a third synthesis of the pair. Confusion will otherwise strike the wielder and cause indecisiveness with the overwhelming array of possibilities. *Tina Strobos' Pocket: As a student of medicine, Tina Strobos upheld the Hippocratic oath - do no harm. Her aid appeared as support for the Dutch resistance against Nazi occupation. She hid Jews, communists, insurgents and more in a secret room within her attic. An emergency bell and walkway out were also installed to help any refugees escape during raids. Arrested nine times by the Gestapo, Strobos calmly talked her way out of every interrogation without letting any information slip. **Bicycling across Amsterdam was really a cover to ferry weapons, radios, food and paperwork between resistance members. Passports were either hand-forged or fenced from local pickpockets; she even nicked papers from guests at her aunt's funeral. Her family had no problem, as her mother and gran were just as intensely invested in the operation. She also hosted underground pathology classes and completed her medical degrees after the country was retaken. **Anything the user touches can be shrunk down to miniscule size and kept in their pocket like a random keychain without arising suspicion. Can also compress people into miniatures, but will result in sickness if kept tiny for long periods of time. When returned to full size, the object will experience partial invisibility. It will disappear when concentrated upon by viewers, but still be visible within the corners of their eye. At least until they turn to look, and then it's just emptiness in front of their face. Comes in handy for smuggling sensitive tools and large equipment undetected, but not when trying to read data gauges or transport normally. February 28 *Baji Rao I's Pata Sword: Baji Rao I served the Maratha Empire as a general at the tender age of 20. During a lifetime of service, Rao never lost a single battle. Total warfare was their strategy. Living off the land, disrupting supply lines and then surprising enemies with cavalry charges. **Treaties with neighboring Mughal districts allowed the Maratha to collect chauth, legalized protection money. Rao wanted to assert dominance, so he campaigned against all the other territories. He assisted local Nizams and chieftains overthrow Mughal strength in the Deccan and Malwa regions. When they resisted, Rao destroyed them in battle and forced them to surrender. Each time, the kingdom received massive amounts of territory and revenue from their newest subjects. **Waving in the air alters the landscape directly around the user, as far as the horizon allows. They can crunch up mounds into mountains, summon sinkholes and make treacherous terrain passable. The strength of the effects depends upon how much money they can attain from taxes. High-ranking officials and measly government workers can both get the sword to operate, but at different levels of control *Juan de la Cosa's mappa mundi: As a companion of Christopher Columbus, Juan de la Cosa was one among the first group of Europeans to land in the New World. During their initial voyage, Cosa was owner of the Santa María, the largest ship in the expedition. At least until a cabin boy rammed the ship into a sandbank on arrival. **Upon return home, he created the first known maps showing both Europe and the New World. Probably ordered for the royal court, the maps demonstrated the new landmass based on all expeditions made up to the 1400s. Cosa later partnered on journeys with Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci, visiting modern-day Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil. Between visits, he spied on the Portuguese to check on the competition for Castile. **Will begin drawing maps, schematics, accounts and other images found during the course of a mission. All information shown was never previously recorded, including personal opinions of crew members. *Wallace Carother's Neoprene Sample: Carothers' specialty was polymer research, studying complex chains of molecules. While working for DuPont, he formulated the chemical structures for two artificial substances: neoprene and nylon. Neoprene acted as a man-made rubber, vital for war efforts when rubber production stalled during WWII. Nylon, when stretched out from a molten goop, formed strong and flexible fibers for clothing and mold casings. **For all his accomplishments, Carothers struggled with depression. He loathed public speaking and once disappeared from work to enter a psychiatric clinic. The death of his sister made matters worse, eventually drinking a dose of cyanide with lemon to speed up the reaction. His daughter's birth and marketing of nylon both occurred within a year after his passing. **Stabilizes unbonded monomers into ordered structures. The polymers can be recreated without the artifact, as it only speeds up the process of finding sustainable chains . Some combinations can be spun into fiber, crushed into powder of liquefied into gel. Created goods are susceptible to damage from high heat, water solubility and caustic chemicals, many of the same defects earlier neoprene and nylon attempts failed under. Alters brain chemistry, causing increased neurotic outbursts and depressive episodes in the main handler. Users will feel slightly more acidic saliva and blood secretions, similar to the acidic taste of potassium cyanide. February 29 *Malik Nettles' Gun Category:Blog posts